


Tomodachi

by smuttyandabsurd



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Clergymen, Historical, M/M, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 12:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2068992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smuttyandabsurd/pseuds/smuttyandabsurd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert has some bad news to deliver. </p><p>Missionary!Gilbert and Reverend!Yao. Set in 1930s China during the Japanese Occupation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tomodachi

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had this AU in my head for a while now, but have been hesitant to write it as, of course, it’s set during a contentious moment in history. This short piece didn’t exactly turn out as intended, but I hope it gives a little idea of what the AU entails.

**December 20 th 1937\. Nanjing.**

A dry, winter breeze tugged at the letter in his hand, as a goods truck scrambled over the mud and snow slicking the road.

Crushing the letter and pocketing it, Gilbert dug his gloved hands deep into his coat. Another truck rumbled past, whipping up an unwelcomed wind which made him hunch his shoulders forward. He let the truck pass before stepping into the road, the mud sucking at his feet as he squelched his way across and walked through a gate into the church grounds.

He heard Yao before he saw him. As he rounded the corner of the squat little church, he found the Reverend surrounded by children who were reciting their lessons for him.

“Péngyǒu shì _tomodachi_. _Tomodachi desu_. Dàjiā shuō shénme?”*

“ _Watashi wa tomodachi desu_ ,”** the children dutifully chorused.

“Duì! Hěn hǎotīng! Hǎole, xiànzài nǐ kěyǐ qù wán.”***

Cheering, the children split and ran off in different directions to play. The Reverend dusted off his knees as he straightened up, his smile fading at the sight of Gilbert. Gilbert lifted one of his hands to take off his hat. The one remaining in his pocket crushed the letter into a tighter ball, as if hoping to bury the bad news with it.

His boots crunched over the snow as he made his way over to Yao.

“What did they say?” Yao asked, his voice soft and hesitant. But he already knew the answer to his question. He could tell from Gilbert’s demeanour.

“You have to leave by noon tomorrow,” Gilbert said quietly.

He caught his eyes fixing to his boots, so he raised them only for his gaze to wander over the snowy grounds instead. He wasn’t able to look Yao in the eye. A little needlessly, he added, “You have until then.”

Yao let out a noise that could have been mistaken for a laugh.

“I’m not leaving,” he said. “I _cannot_ leave,” he said again, before Gilbert could protest.

“Reverend, that flag comes down at noon tomorrow,” Gilbert said, pointing at the flagpole from which the Red Cross flag limply hung. “You leave before it does or you’re not leaving here alive, do you understand?”

“So be it,” Yao said.

His woollen glove muffled the sound of impact, but the slap was real. Yao’s face snapped to one side and he froze, staring with widened eyes from the shock. Gilbert immediately regretted his outburst. He snatched back his hand, feeling just as shocked, but he was not going to back down.

Slowly, Yao turned to face him again, hand held to his cheek. His defiance only seemed to strengthen from being hit.

“I’m begging you, please,” Gilbert hissed with a new urgency. “Please, you have to leave!”

“…I thank you for your advice. But I cannot do what you’re asking of me. Good day.”

With that stiff parting, Yao brushed past Gilbert to trudge over to the children who were grouped around a mound of snow. Gilbert’s eyes dropped once more to the ground, his lips trembling. The children greeted Yao excitedly, telling him that they were building a snowman to look like him.

Suddenly, their chattering erupted into shrieks of delight as Yao joined in and took to chasing them around the snow mound. Gilbert turned slowly to look, but all he saw of the scene was death and destruction.

**Author's Note:**

> **Translations:**
> 
> * _Tomodachi_ means friend. _I am a friend_. Now what do you say?
> 
> ** _I am a friend_.
> 
> ***Correct! Well said! Very well, you can go play now.
> 
>  **Note:** Yao is equipping the children with basic Japanese in case it is needed if they run into Japanese soldiers.


End file.
